Ethanol makes US secure, good for economy - corn trade group

INDIANAPOLIS (ICIS)--The use of ethanol is good for the US economy because it reduces the amount of money the US sends overseas to pay for imports of crude oil, a trade group said on Tuesday.

Ethanol is also important because it helps to plug a hole in national security by reducing US dependence on foreign energy sources, said Rick Tolman, chief executive of the National Corn Growers Association (NCGA).

The challenge for this industry is to tell its story, Tolman said, adding that ethanol also helps the environment by cutting emissions, even though biofuel critics claim the product does exactly the opposite.

Despite the struggle to communicate its message, he said the US ethanol industry has expanded in ways that was previously unforeseen.

“Who would have thought the US would export ethanol to Brazil,” he said, referring to US shipments sent to that country earlier this year.

Tolman also touted a new partnership between the US ethanol industry and the National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing (NASCAR).

“If ethanol works for NASCAR, it shows that problems with other engines are a myth,” he said.